Petunia plant named ‘Condowhite’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Condowhite’, characterized by its outwardly spreading and uniform plant habit; freely branching habit; numerous double flowers that are white in color; and good garden performance.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Petunia×hybrida cultivarCondowhite.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petuniaplant, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida, and hereinafter referred toby the cultivar name Condowhite.

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. The objective of the breedingprogram is to create new outwardly spreading Petunias with numerousdouble flowers with attractive flower colors.

The new Petunia originated from a cross made by the Inventor in April,1999 of an unidentified Brazilian single-flowered selection of Petunia,not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with an unidentifiedwhite-colored double-flowered selection of Petunia, not patented, as themale, or pollen parent. The new Petunia was selected as a single plantfrom the resulting progeny on Oct. 20, 1999 in Gensingen, Germany, onthe basis of its numerous double flowers.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttingssince Nov., 1999, taken in Gensingen, Germany has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Petunia are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Condowhite have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, light intensity anddaylength without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Condowhite’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Condowhite’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Outwardly spreading, cascading and uniform plant habit.

2. Freely branching habit.

3. Numerous double flowers that are white in color.

4. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Petunia differ from plants of the female parent, theunidentified Brazilian single-flowered selection, in the followingcharacteristics:

1. Plants of the new Petunia have larger flowers than plants of thefemale parent.

2. Plants of the new Petunia have double flower whereas plants of thefemale parent have single flowers.

Plants of the new Petunia differ from plants of the male parent, theunidentified white-colored double-flowered Petunia selection, in thefollowing characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Petunia are more outwardly spreading and not asupright as plants of the male parent.

2. Plants of the new Petunia are more vigorous and more freely branchingthan plants of the male parent.

3. Plants of the new Petunia have better garden performance than plantsof the male parent.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the cultivar SilkRoad, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/450,095,now abandoned. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Gensingen,Germany, plants of the new Petunia differed from plants of the cultivarSilk Road in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Petunia were more outwardly spreading and not asupright as plants of the cultivar Silk Road.

2. Plants of the new Petunia had larger flowers than plants of thecultivar Silk Road.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Petunia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Condowhite’ grown in a 15-cm container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view oftypical flowers and leaves of ‘Condowhite’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Bonsall, Calif., in an outdoornursery during the winter under full sun conditions with daytemperatures ranging from 18 to about 35° C. and night temperaturesranging from 7 to 18° C. After planting rooted cuttings, plants weregrown for about nine weeks in 15-cm containers. Color references aremade to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 edition,except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida cultivar Condowhite.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Unidentified Brazilian single-flowered Petunia×hybridaselection, not patented.

Male parent.—Unidentified white-colored double-flowered Petunia×hybridaselection, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.

Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About 15 days at 20 to 22° C.

Time to develop roots, summer and winter.—About 20 days at 18 to 20° C.

Root description.—Fine; white, close to 155D, in color.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching.

Plant description:

Form.—Annual flowering plant; indeterminate; initially upright, thenourwardly spreading and trailing; uniform. Freely branching habit withabout eight lateral branches and numerous secondary lateral branches perplant.

Usage.—Appropriate for hanging baskets, window boxes, patio containersand landscape applications.

Plant height.—About 9 cm.

Plant diameter.—About 44 cm.

Vigor.—Vigorous.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 30 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Internodelength: About 1.25 cm. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 145A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate before flowering; oppositeafter flowers develop; simple. Quantity per lateral branch: About 30.Length: About 7 cm. Width: About 4.5 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded.Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:Pubescent; glandular. Venation pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Color:Developing leaves, upper surface: 146A. Developing leaves, lowersurface: 146B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: 147A. Fullyexpanded leaves, lower surface: 147B. Venation, upper and lowersurfaces: 146B. Petiole length: About 1.5 cm. Petiole diameter: About 4mm. Petiole color: 145B.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Double salverform flowers; flowers face mostlyupward or outward; axillary. Very freely flowering habit, about two openflowers and about seven to eight flower buds per lateral branch at onetime.

Natural flowering season.—Long day responsive; long flowering period,spring until frost in the autumn; flowering continuous during thisperiod. Plants start flowering about four weeks after planting rootedcuttings. Flowers persistent.

Flower longevity on the plant.—About seven days.

Fragrance.—Strong; sweet.

Flower size.—Diameter: About 8.75 cm. Tube length: About 3.5 cm. Throatdiameter, distal end: About 3.5 cm. Tube diameter, proximal end: About 7mm.

Flower buds.—Length: About 4.5 cm. Diameter: At apex, about 3 cm; atbase, about 8 mm. Shape: Elongated oblong with ruffled apices. Color:145A.

Corolla.—Quantity/arrangement: About five to six outer petals fused in asingle whorl, funnelform; interior to the outer whorl, about 25progressively smaller petaloids, variable in size. Petal length fromthroat: About 3 cm. Petal width: About 3.5 cm. Petal/petaloid shape:Roughly spatulate or fan-shaped. Petal/petaloid apex: Rounded to veryslightly emarginate; ruffled. Petal/petaloid margin: Entire; ruffled.Petal/petaloid texture: Smooth, velvety. Color: Petals/petaloids, uppersurface, when opening: 157A to 157B. Petals/petaloids, lower surface,when opening: 157D. Petals/petaloids, upper surface, fully opened: 157Cto 157D; with development, color becoming closer to 155D.Petals/petaloids, lower surface, fully opened: 155D. Flower throat(inside): 157C to 157D. Flower tube (outside): 157B. Venation, upperpetal/petaloid surface: 145C. Venation, lower petal/petaloid surface:145B. Venation, throat: 145C. Venation, tube: 144D.

Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals fused atbase, star-shaped. Length: About 2.8 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape:Obovate. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire. Texture: both surfaces:Pubescent, glandular. Color, upper surface: 146A. Color, lower surface:146B.

Peduncles.—Length: About 1.7 cm. Width: About 3 mm. Angle: About 45 to65° from the stem. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 146C.

Reproductive organs.—No reproductive structures observed, alltransformed into petaloids; flowers sterile.

Seed/fruit.—Seed and/or fruit production has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been notedto be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Petunia.

Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to havegood garden performance. Plants of the new Petunia have been noted totolerate temperatures from 0 to 38° C. and have excellent tolerance torain and wind.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named‘Condowhite’, as illustrated and described.